Calcium Intake Trend Over Time

Abstract

ContextAdequate calcium (Ca) intake is important to reduce the risk of bone loss and fractures. However, side effects of excess Ca intake have been reported, including kidney stones and most recently the possibility of cardiovascular events that has been reported since 2010. We hypothesized that negative messages regarding high Ca consumption may have influenced the trends in calcium intake and retrospectively examined a relatively homogenous population of women who participated in our studies over a 15 year period of time.ObjectiveTo determine trends in Ca consumption (from diet and supplementation combined) from 2000 to 2015 in post‐menopausal women from the OWLE dataset (NIH‐AG12161).DesignWe performed a cross sectional analysis on 278 overweight or obese (BMI 29.5 ± 4.7 kg/m2, 58 ± 6 years) post‐menopausal women to asses levels of Ca intake over time. Available data was pooled in a three year increments, 2000 – 2002, 2006–2008, 2009 – 2011, and 2012–2015. We collected 3 days of diet records and/or a validated Ca questionnaire to asses Ca intake from food and supplements.ResultsCa consumption was significantly higher during 2009–2011 compared to 2000–2002 (p < 0.05). In contrast, Ca intake was lower during 2012 – 2015 averaging 850 ± 249 mg/d compared to the previous decade, and equivalent to 71 ± 23% of the Recommended Daily Allowance. These data remain significant when controlled for age and BMI.ConclusionThese results suggest that trends in Ca consumption vary over the past 15 years, indicating a rise in intake over the first decade followed by a decreased consumption in recent years. Factors leading to this trend for low Ca intake are not clear from this dataset, but should be examined further and are a concern considering the risk of fractures in this population.